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Understanding Molecules & Chemistry

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Cheeto

Rising Star
Feel free to correct any flaw i may have, i'm trying to understand so i'm explaining what i've picked up on and asking questions.

In my current understanding, molecules are just collections of different elements(Atoms[Hydrogen Atom, Carbon Atom]), fused together. (H2,O1) = 2 hydrogen atoms + 1 Oxygen atom = 1 water molecule. I think i should be right on this part, but say when you get to more complex molecules say DMT(12 Carbon, 2 nitrogen, 16 hydrogen), i assume its a dumb question because i don't see any other chemical that would have the same amount of atoms of the same type yet be different, but when i look at chemical graph it always shows the atoms connected in different orders so i will ask. Say you had a DMT molecule, would it be possible to displace(as it move to another location) one of its nitrogen atoms to get a different chemical, or different form of the chemical?, or do they just organise themselves when a certain collection of atoms come together to form a molecule?

Another question, How do atoms come together to form molecules, is it similar to atoms themselves, if they get so close they stick together(Nuclear Fusion): Molecular Fusion?

I'm sure you would have to have a stradegy to do this, or can we already do this in any combination?? --If we had a stock of different atoms, could we just put different combinations together to form new molecules not currently known??

How do molecules come together to create things like cells, or complex life like humans, is that where DNA comes in, it organises molecules or something??
 
Yea, i figured out today that instead of trying to learn by asking random questions and wait for explanations and reading on wiki, maybe i should just get some books and start reading, so i borrowed some of my grandpa's. There from around the 50's. Would they be good to start with, or should i go for something newer?
 
how good of math skills do i need?? Currently i have shitty math skills, but i also got some math books.

I've got beggining Algebra to college modern algebra, Intoroductory Calculus' with analytic geometry, Analytic Geometry And Calculus, Modern Trigonomatry, General College Chemistry, The Elements of Probability Theory, and Modern College Physics.

All from the 50's, should i maybe get newer physics books?

Also, whats Elements of Probability Theory?
 
Standard algebra is more than sufficient to start understanding the maths of chemistry. No really need to go to Limits, Calculus etc. Some elementary trigonometry may prove useful when looking at chemical structures (atom bond angles, stereoisometry etc) but this is already getting unnecessarily advanced!

You also need to look on isomers to answer some of your question in your first post, this is most important in organic chemistry. For instance the substances diethylether, methyl-propylether (methoxypropane), n-butanol, isobutanol, secondary butanol and tertiary butanol are all different compounds but are all isomers. They all have 4 atoms of carbon, 1 atom of oxygen and 10 atoms of hydrogen.
 
Sometimes these things are easier explained visually than reading on paper, so have a look around on youtube for some basic chemistry videos molecular structure. As mentioned above, when you get into stereoisomers etc it can get a bit confusing but I wouldn't trouble yourself with learning nomenclature too much as it can be quite a headache (was for me anyway!).

I think sometimes it's great to go back to basics and still be in awe, because in a strange kind of way you take for granted the more advanced stuff, and just accept it as fact that A interacts with receptor B which phosphorylates C etc... when simple concepts like enantiomers can still be profound (thalidomide being the most well known example to the OP).

Methtical
 
Methtical said:
Sometimes these things are easier explained visually than reading on paper, so have a look around on youtube for some basic chemistry videos molecular structure. As mentioned above, when you get into stereoisomers etc it can get a bit confusing but I wouldn't trouble yourself with learning nomenclature too much as it can be quite a headache (was for me anyway!).

I think sometimes it's great to go back to basics and still be in awe, because in a strange kind of way you take for granted the more advanced stuff, and just accept it as fact that A interacts with receptor B which phosphorylates C etc... when simple concepts like enantiomers can still be profound (thalidomide being the most well known example to the OP).

Methtical
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Thanx to everyone for the advice, i will be reading the chemistry book i have, though i must add, at this point, i have absolutly no idea what you are talking about, but i must say it will be fun to learn and look back on this post with some understanding. Everything just seems to be complex, even a molecule, i thought i was just a collection of atoms, but have already learned that it can also reffer to a single atom, depending on what field of science your discussing.
 
benzyme said:
Cheeto said:
even a molecule, i thought i was just a collection of atoms, but have already learned that it can also reffer to a single atom, depending on what field of science your discussing.
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what??

in chemistry, an atom is a representative unit of an element.
a molecule is comprised of multiple atoms.
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Wiki:
In the kinetic theory of gases, the term molecule is often used for any gaseous particle regardless of its composition. According to this definition noble gas atoms are considered molecules despite the fact that they are composed of a single non-bonded atom.[4]
 
Wiki:

"Because of their incurable biases, the so-called experts at Wikipedia will probably never have an article about It doesn't matter what your answer is as long as you feel good about it. We are sorry they insist on being this lame."

and noble gases won't build organic molecules, which was your original question.
if you can't get past the chemical definition of a molecule, how're you ever going to get past anti-bonding orbital theory and heisenberg uncertainty principle?
 
benzyme said:
Wiki:

"Because of their incurable biases, the so-called experts at Wikipedia will probably never have an article about It doesn't matter what your answer is as long as you feel good about it. We are sorry they insist on being this lame."

and noble gases won't build organic molecules, which was your original question.
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So what? Is wiki wrong your saying? So would my first thinking be correct, molecules are a collection of atoms rather than a single atom. I'm guessing so, so whats up with the wiki?
 
And i can understand, if its taught clearly. I assumed molecules where collections of atoms, but read different.
 
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